Obedience vs Disobedience

I have a confession; my quandary has been deciding on whether I should or shouldn’t complete and publish my book. When I tossed my coin, and it landed on heads, I was not surprised that it resulted in another confirmation. Keep in mind, heads are God’s will, not mine. This book has been in the making for 12 years, and it is 85% written and still not finished. The book title; “Get Out of Your Own Way”. What a hypocrite I am. How can I write a book about a topic that contradicts my behavior?

As I reflect over the years, I received numerous signs confirming I should complete and publish the book. However, it was my self-talk that paralyzed my progress. For example, in 2011 I saw the actor Tyrese Gibson, on a late-night talk show promoting his book, titled; How to Get Out of Your Own Way. [Self-talk:” someone wrote the book before I did. Oh well, that is what happens when one procrastinates”.] On another occasion, I shared a bizarre experience I had with a friend, and he said; “if you ever write a book you must include that story”. Unbeknownst to him, a chapter had already been written about that incident. [Self-talk, “people will think I am out of my mind”] Another sign was when I was coaching someone on an incident that transpired in her life, and I realized I had already written about a similar occurrence that also happened to me. [Self-talk, “I do not want to be exposed”] There I go again, creating self-imposed barriers by making excuses, overthinking, and concerning myself with what other people will think.

I know that I know writing and publishing this book is God’s will. So, knowing this is God’s will, why am I being disobedient? According to scripture 1 Samuel 15:22, God says obedience is better than sacrifice. The origin of that phrase is when the first King of Israel Saul, disobeyed God by not destroying a nation to include all their possessions. Saul decided to only destroy things he deemed as invaluable. Due to his disobedience, he lost everything including his throne. Obviously, there are repercussions to disobeying God, but there are also rewards to obeying God. Just think, if Jesus had not obeyed God and sacrificed his life for our sins on the cross, where would we be? Personally, I would not have had the power to sustain my life’s journey without Him.

Will I continue to disobey God and rebel against His authority. What will I lose if I am disobedient? Peace of mind? What will I gain? The benefit of blessing someone else with my story. It is more blessed to give than receive. Therefore, I have made the decision not to be in opposition to what God would like for me to do. I will complete and publish my book this year. Are you in opposition to what God is requesting of you? If so, tell me about it.